We all knew the University of Oregon football program was constructing a lavish $68
million operations center set to open this fall, but did you know the Ducks will also be taking a dip?

A source inside the UO athletic department caught a glimpse of the "plunge pools" they're finishing now practice-field level in the Casanova Center and sent me a quick snapshot.

The Ducks are installing two "Cryo-Chute Pools" for use this football season. The 50-foot long pools are adjacent to each other, and designed to help in optimum recovery post-practice for football players.

The pools are looooong and have steps on both ends and a giant tiled "O" on the bottom of each. One pool will be heated to 65 degrees, and the other to 45 degrees. And the players presumably will walk in post-practice, wade from one end of Pool No. 1 to the other... then, walk one end of Pool No. 2 to the other as part of a cool down for their muscles.

Every 10-year old in America knows how good it feels to run between the jacuzzi and the pool, jumping in, back and forth. But apparently what trainers and physical therapists know now is that this kind of activity post-practice can help with recovery.

This isn't new technology, but the theory goes... intense exercise causes tiny tears in the muscles. The muscles recover from this microtrauma, and end up stronger after cell regeneration than they were before. However, there's obvious soreness caused by this in the 24-72 hours after.

The "plunge pool" is though to constrict blood vessels and flush lactic acid, decrease metabolic activity, reduce swelling and tissue breakdown. Big difference here is that Oregon has taken the cold post-practice whirlpool and turned it into a 100-foot walk through two pools that have a variance of 20 degrees in water temperature.

The Ducks used same designers/builders (Wilsonville's Anderson Poolworks) that did some of their other football projects, the water park at the Aviation Museum and
also the spa installation for the Trail Blazers at the Rose Garden
Arena.

Ducks will take a dip, yes. But I still have them winning 10+ games in Mark Helfrich's first season.

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